I was fortunate enough to get hold of the latest Cleanance Aqua Gel (2024) from Avene to review. I’m the moisturiser’s target skin type—dehydrated in areas with an oily nose—I couldn’t wait to give it a go and report back.
I’m a fan of the Cleanance serum and Comedomed. I’ve also tried the original Hydrance Aqua Gel and loved the texture. It’s more of a cooling, airy gel—lighter than 80% of moisturisers available. Your skin feels instantly refreshed, so it’s great to see we’ve finally got a version more tailored to texture issues, oiliness, and breakouts. Hoorah!
What is Cleanance?
It’s a range of spot-fighting skincare products recommended by dermatologists. Products in the Cleanance range help reduce excess oil, blemishes, and blackheads. For 2024, Cleanance Aqua Gel joins the line-up, replacing the best-loved Cleanance Mattifying Emulsion. However, this replacement is better as the texture is smooth and light, and it contains upgraded skin-refining ingredients to help oily to combination skin types regain clarity and confidence.
What Does Cleanance Aqua Gel Do?
The main job of this daily moisturiser is to mattify, reduce shine and soothe the skin. However, since trying it, I’ve found a few extra benefits I’ll list:
- It smoothes skin, so it makes a great makeup base.
- It hydrates and purifies skin without drying it out, so you can also use it as a face mask.
How Does It Do It?
The combination of active ingredients and the lightweight air-like texture of Cleanance Aqua Gel makes this moisturiser work. To help regulate sebum production and reduce shine, the Cleanance gel-cream was made with Monolaurin, which has anti-bacterial benefits.
This gel also contains niacinamide, known for its antioxidant properties that help calm and shield the skin. Moreover, it includes Pre-tocopheryl, a potent antioxidant that prepares the skin for vitamin E absorption. Infused with Avene thermal spring water, renowned for its calming and soothing effects, this gel offers a comprehensive solution for those seeking to manage oily skin and maintain a matte complexion throughout the day.
Key Ingredients
When reviewing the ingredients, the key actives are niacinamide, monolaurin, pre-tocopheryl and Avene thermal water. The cream is also made from 95% natural origin ingredients. I was shocked to see Mineral Oil but when I looked into it further, it’s been confirmed as a cosmetic mineral oil that is non-irritating, occlusive and moisturising – and no scientific data is showing that the pure, cosmetic grade version is carcinogenic.
Total ingredients
Avene Thermal Spring Water (Avene Aqua). Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum). Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride. Water (Aqua). Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil (Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil). Palmitic Acid. Stearic Acid. Hydrogenated Palm/Palm Kernel Oil Peg-6 Esters. Triethanolamine. Glyceryl Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate. Propylene Glycol. 1,2-Hexanediol. Caprylic/Capric Glycerides. Caprylyl Glycol. Carbomer. Disodium Edta. Fragrance (Parfum). Microcrystalline Wax (Cera Microcristallina). Paraffin. Ribes Rubrum (Currant) Fruit Extract (Ribes Rubrum Fruit Extract). Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry) Fruit Extract (Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract). Sodium Benzoate. Tocopheryl Glucoside. Tropolone. Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract.
Free from alcohol.
You Will Love Cleanance Aqua Gel If…
- If you’re sick of seeing spots in the mirror.
- If you’re fed up with seeing bumpy, non-smooth skin.
- If your foundation doesn’t sit well because of your irregular skin texture.
- You have oily and dry patches on your skin and can’t find a moisturiser that balances the two.
What Does It Smell And Feel Like?
As soon as you open the lid, you can see the shiny blue-tinted gel cream, which feels as cool as it looks. It’s super lightweight and has a thin air-like gel texture that leaves a soft finish. It’s incredibly similar to the original aqua gel texture; however, this one has a pale blue tint. You can also smell the fresh cucumber-floral scent of this cream when you open it; it’s uplifting, and I liked the fact it didn’t linger for long. It disappears when it’s worked in.
How Long Does One Pot Last?
One pot of Cleanance aqua gel should last around 6 weeks, as you don’t need to use a lot to feel and see the results. If your skin is very dry, you may feel like you need more, but the answer isn’t to apply more; perhaps look at the Hydrance Serum or add the Thermal Water Spray as a step before this to give your skin a moisture boost.
Best Place and Time To Use It?
Avene says you can use this day and night, but my favourite time to use this is in the morning before applying my makeup. It stops me from looking shiny, and the lightweight texture is great when layering moisturiser, SPF and makeup.
Comedomed vs Cleanance Aqua Gel
If you have normal to combination skin with some imperfections, texture issues or a few blemishes, go with Cleanance Aqua Gel, but if you have oily blemish-prone skin and are prone to acne, then you would go for the Comedomed. If you specifically wanted a lightweight gel moisturiser that is hydrating and mattifying, Cleanance Aqua Gel feels slightly more nourishing than Comedomed.
